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Become a naturalist when you visit The Nature Exchange Gallery! Match the scat (poop) to the animal that left it behind, study camera trap photographs taken by local researchers, and administer tests to identify mineral specimens. You can even use microscopes to analyze your own samples from nature, or ones you find in the Gallery!
Click on the "For Educators" tab if you're visiting with a large group or field trip.
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The Nature Exchange is a learning experience unlike any other. Students become natural history researchers as they catalogue, interpret, analyze, interact and get hands-on with nature.
Students can:
- Get hands-on and explore thousands of specimens, including shells, minerals, and quills.
- Use real microscopes and other scientific tools to make observations,
- Sit back and explore the universe and the land we steward through books in our Northern Lights Indigenous library
Note: The Trading Centre experience is not available to school groups. If you are a student, teacher, or youth group leader who would like to participate in trading, please look into the Nature Exchange Educational Program.
The Nature Exchange is a more intimate Gallery than some other spaces. To make the most of your class visit to The Nature Exchange:- Visit in small groups
- Assist students in safely and respectfully handling real specimens and tools, like microscopes
- Encourage students to be curious and explore. The more they observe and investigate – the more they will find!
Educator F.A.Q.Can students touch the specimens?
Absolutely! All guests are encouraged to get hands-on and explore specimens. A few specimens are fragile, so you are asked to please respect the “do not touch” and “do not pick up” signs.
Are there still live animals in Nature Exchange?
The Nature Exchange is home to several invertebrate species, including a tarantula.
Can students bring things to trade?
The Trading Centre experience is not available to school groups. If you are a student, teacher, or youth group who would like to participate in trading, please look into the Nature Exchange Educational Program.
Can students take items home?
The Trading Centre items are available for eligible traders to purchase using Nature Points. Students who are interested in trading are encouraged to return on a future trip with family or friends to participate in the program.
How do I book a trading experience for my class?
Please look into the Nature Exchange Educational Program.
Best Curriculum Fit:
K-3:
- Earth Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.
- Living Systems: Understandings of the living world, Earth, and space are deepened by investigating natural systems and their interactions.
- Matter: Understandings of the physical world are deepened by investigating matter and energy.
Where: The Nature Exchange
Age: All Ages
Entry: Included with public Science Centre Admission / School rates apply
Where: The Nature Exchange
Age: All Ages
Entry: Included with public Science Centre Admission / School rates apply
Northern Lights Indigenous Cultural Space
This Teaching Space is located in The Nature Exchange Gallery as a place where Indigenous knowledge is woven with Western science. It features an interactive dreamcatcher created for the space by Ellie Lagrandeur, a local Ojibwe artist. While visiting, take a seat, relax, and grab a book from the Indigenous library to explore the universe, the land we steward, and life.
The Trading Centre
Explore the outdoors, investigate and collect what interests you, and earn points for sharing your discoveries and knowledge. Redeem your points and take home something new to add to your personal collection!
Click here for more information on The Trading Centre.
